I was trying to think of songs about sports and games, excluding school team fight songs such as the Notre Dame Victory March or Michigan’s Hail to Victors, or which use sports/games as a metaphor, and could only come up with three: Take Me Out to the Ballgame, John Fogerty’s Centerfield and George Jones’ The Race is On. Help me out. Which ones (or thousands) am I neglecting?
Tessie (baseball - modern version by the Dropkick Murphys)
*Paradise by the Dashboard Light *(Meatloaf, of course) certainly uses a radio baseball game as a metaphor.
The entire album The Turn of a Friendly Card by the Alan Parsons Project is about gambling (cards, dice, etc.)
So is that one song by Kenny Rogers… gee, what’s it called?
There are plenty from musicals: “O’Brien to Ryan to Goldberg” (Take Me Out to the Ball Game), “Fugue for Tinhorns” and “The Oldest Established (Permanent Floating Crap Game)” (Guys and Dolls), “Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo” and “Heart” (Damn Yankees!).
Also plenty of card game songs, most notably “The Gambler” (Kenny Rogers).
Glory Days by Springsteen mentions baseball while reflecting on high school memories.
Rapid Roy by Jim Croce is about a stock car racer.
Roller Derby Queen also by Croce, self-explanatory.
Sailing by Cristopher Cross
The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkle
A couple more gambling-related songs:
Wilco - Casino Queen
Morphine - Have a Lucky Day
Oh and speaking of Wilco - there was a song about Joe DiMaggio on one of the Mermaid Avenue CDs.
Here are 6 other boxing songs.
Tom Russell wrote an awesome song about Mickey Mantle called “The Kid from Spavinaw” and another great song about Ali.
http://www.desiringmachine.org/blog/2009/02/15/the-kid-from-spavinaw/
Match of the Day - Genesis
Basketball Jones - Cheech and Chong
When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease - Roy Harper
Faster - George Harrison
There are lots of songs about horse racing, notably “Camptown Races” and the many variants on “Skewbald”/“Stewball.”
oh, and Superbowl Shuffle. hahahaha
“The Sporting Life” is one of my favorites, all the moreso because it comes from the band seemingly least likely to write a song about sports - The Decemberists.
“Stars of Track and Field” - Belle & Sebastian
ETA: Also, “Lonliness of a Middle Distance Runner” by B&S
“Birmingham Blues” - ELO. While the song is actually about missing your hometown while traveling the world as a rock star, the title of the song comes from the nickname of the Birmingham City Football Club, Jeff Lynne’s hometown football (soccer) team.
Also, “Boom Boom Mancini” by Warren Zevon.
Tennessee Stud (trad., a staple of Doc Watson’s)
Molly & Tenbrooks (part of the bluegrass canon - can’t remember original author)
Run for the Roses (Jerry Garcia Band)
are all about horse racing.
Real American (Rick Derringer) was Hulk Hogan’s theme song
Piazza, New York Catcher (Belle & Sebastian) is about…wait for it…Mike Piazza
Centerfield by John Fogerty
All Kinds of Time by Fountains of Wayne
Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song) – Warren Zevon
Right Field – Peter, Paul, and Mary
A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request – Steve Goodman
Ballad of a Ballgame - Christine Lavin
Faster by George Harrison is about auto racing
The Warriors Code by the Dropkick Murphys is about a boxer.
And every year there are songs about the Superbowl contenders. That 18-0 song from a couple of years ago still breaks my heart…
Kung-Fu Fighting.
And the criminally overlooked “Louisville Lip” by Freakwater, about Muhammad Ali.
Other baseball songs:
Warren Zevon, “Bill Lee”
Bob Dylan, “Catfish”
Barbara Manning, “Dock Ellis” (psychedelic, natch)